A local passion for summer performances birthed Corn Stock Theatre in 1954, but a fundamental problem loomed:

What about the heat?

At the time, few homes had air conditioning, nor did Peoria’s theaters. The fear was, spectators wouldn’t pay to bake inside stifling venues during torrid months.

So, the new troupe decided to play outside. That summer, Corn Stock Theatre produced “Gigi” beneath a tent erected in Detweiller Park.

The location was nice, but nearby railroad tracks often caused unwanted show-stoppers. When ear-splitting trains rumbled by, actors literally had to stop in their tracks until the noise dwindled.

For the second season, the group moved to upper Bradley Park. The venue succeeded, though rain on the tent often sounded like the beating of a drum. In 2003, the group switched to a vinyl tent, which offers better acoustics.

Though mounted on a permanent frame, the vinyl tent is removable for the winter. Each spring, a crew of a half-dozen volunteers needs a day to get the tent and surroundings back into performance shape. When they’re done, it’s one of the most recognizable structures in Peoria.

It’s durable, too. Despite wind, rain, heat and twisters, Corn Stock has canceled just two of about 2,700 shows over the past 60-plus years. That’s quite a tent.